The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports it is common for individuals with substance abuse problems to also have a mental health disorder. Mental health disorders and substance abuse share similar symptoms. Commonly shared symptoms include: decline in work/school performance, changes in appetite or sleep patterns, moodiness, dramatic weight loss or weight gain, loss of interest in hobbies or friend groups, and increased isolation. This makes it harder to identify if someone is suffering from one of these issues or both. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to your teen's mental health.
Research suggests mental health monitoring, or paying attention to changes in your child’s mood and behavior, can potentially work as drug abuse prevention. Awareness of behavior and mood changes can allow you to address a problem before it begins or becomes too severe. By paying attention you may notice your teen is no longer eating their favorite food and they’ve started staying home on weekends instead of hanging out with friends. Does this mean your child undoubtedly has a mental health disorder and/or substance abuse problem? No. But, these behaviors could be the first symptoms. Addressing these concerns sooner rather than later may be what prevents your teen from turning to drugs to feel better about their mental health.
What is Substance Abuse?
Substance abuse, or substance use disorder (SUD), is the continued use of illegal or legal drugs. Yes, even legal drugs such as alcohol, nicotine and prescription medications can be abused. The continued misuse of drugs can have negative impacts socially, mentally and physically. Substance use disorder can lead to poor work or school performance and the loss of relationships with family and friends. Substance use disorder is a recognized brain disorder as substance use changes the areas of the brain that control emotion, decision making, reward and impulse control.
Substance abuse can develop due to genetic and/or environmental factors. Genetically, some individuals are predisposed to developing a substance abuse disorder. Additionally, environmental factors include trauma, chronic stress and frequent exposure to drugs.
What are Mental Health Disorders and What are the Warning Signs?
There are numerous mental health disorders, all with varying symptoms and severity. In general, mental health disorders affect mood, thinking and behavior. Specifically, mental health disorders can overtake your teen’s life by negatively affecting their mood, school/work performance, social interactions, and overall ability to function daily.
Common signs of a mental health disorder:
- Increased moodiness
- Increased isolation
- Dramatic weight loss or weight gain
- Loss of interest in hobbies/activities
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Changes in school performance
It is important to note that while these are the most common signs to look for, these are not the only signs of mental health issues. Additionally, mental health can appear differently in everyone. However, being aware of these warning signs can signal when it may be time to have a conversation with your child about their mental health.
How is Mental Health Related to Substance Abuse?
There is currently not enough evidence to prove mental health causes substance abuse. Yet, there is enough evidence to support it is beneficial to look at mental health while addressing substance abuse issues. Research shows the most successful treatments address and screen for both mental health and substance use disorders.
NIDA reports around half of all individuals with substance use disorders also suffer from mental illness. Additionally, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports around nine million people suffer from both mental health issues and substance abuse. Mental health and substance use disorders can be co-occurring disorders, or disorders that coexist. So, even though no studies have proved causality, it is clear mental health and substance abuse are linked.
Individuals suffering from mental illness may use drugs as a form of self-medication. Self-medication is the use of drugs, alcohol or other substances to cope with negative feelings or pain. According to MentalHealth.gov, certain mental health disorders are more likely to lead to substance abuse. These disorders include depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and personality disorders.
While mental health disorders do not guarantee substance abuse will occur, it is smart to be aware of the warning signs in case it does occur. If your teen is struggling, or is diagnosed with a mental health disorder, it is important to discuss and model healthy coping mechanisms. Continue to monitor their behavior and discuss your concerns with your doctor if necessary.
How Does Mental Health and Substance Abuse Affect Teens?
Think back to when you were a teen, emotions often felt overwhelming. Finding the words to express these emotions felt even more overwhelming. As a teen you want to take the easiest way out of your problems. For some, that means using drugs and alcohol to numb the pain.
Adolescence is a common time people experiment with drugs for the first time. This is around the same time mental health issues and symptoms begin to appear. Mental health issues can increase teen’s vulnerability to using and abusing drugs. Teens tend to internalize their feelings as well as mental health symptoms. Often teens may feel more comfortable self-medicating than talking about their feelings.
Families Affected by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues
A study conducted by The Federation of Families For Children's Mental Health interviewed youth diagnosed with mental health and substance abuse disorders. Their responses included:
"My depression led me to using drugs to try and work my way out of it."
"My substance abuse fed my mental health problems and made them much worse than they actually were."
"My emotional feelings led to my drug use, but drug use led to a lot of mental health problems down the road, so it's like that vicious cycle they talk about, one thing leads to another."
Mental health and substance abuse disorders do not only affect those who suffer from them. The same study also interviewed the parents of youth suffering from substance abuse and mental health disorders. Some of their responses included:
“Untreated mental health problems led to my child’s substance abuse.”
“Substance abuse and mental health need to be addressed as equally important, inextricably linked.”
“It changes every aspect of your life, emotionally, financially, mentally. We’re all so busy with my daughter and running her here and there. There’s no time and no money left.”
What Can I Do to Help My Teenager?
It is important to have open discussions with your teen to track their mental health and feelings. Research also suggests building your teen a strong support system. This will strengthen your teen's ability to cope with their emotions in a healthy way.
Yet, sometimes this is not enough to truly know what is going on in your teenager’s life. NIDA states, “Research indicates that some mental, emotional, and behavioral problems among youth can be prevented or significantly mitigated by evidence-based prevention interventions.” So, you may find it beneficial to reach out for professional support.
Prevention Is Still the Best Approach
Once substance abuse starts, it is a lifelong battle to stop and stay sober. Take the initiative to prevent substance abuse before it begins. Modeling healthy coping mechanisms, encouraging open communication, and informing your teen of the risks of drug use can help prevent substance abuse.
For a program that not only deals directly with drug prevention, but also leads to healthy behaviors, the nonprofit CANDLE, Inc. offers evidence-based prevention for families via their award-winning Reality Tour. Download their free Prevention Plannerto learn how to network a community for prevention.
